The highly anticipated showdown between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev is officially confirmed.
UFC CEO Dana White announced via Instagram Live on Tuesday that du Plessis is set to defend his middleweight championship against the undefeated Chimaev. The pivotal title fight will serve as the main event for UFC 319, scheduled to take place on August 16 at the United Center in Chicago. This marks the first time the UFC will hold an event in the Windy City since UFC 238 in 2019.
Du Plessis has maintained an unbeaten record since making his UFC debut in 2020. He claimed the middleweight title in 2024 by defeating Sean Strickland via split decision at UFC 297. He then successfully defended his championship with a fourth-round submission victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 last summer. According to the announcement, du Plessis most recently solidified his reign over the division by earning a unanimous decision win against Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312 in February.
Khamzat Chimaev emerged as a major star in 2020 and has long been considered a prime candidate for UFC gold, although his career has seen challenges with fight availability in recent years. Despite these setbacks, Chimaev has delivered electrifying performances whenever he has stepped into the octagon, boasting an impressive eight wins, six of which came by stoppage. His most recent impressive outing was a first-round submission victory over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, a performance recognized as the 2024 Submission of the Year, which ultimately secured him this long-awaited opportunity to fight for the title.
